Get audited, not for taxes, but for your office paper

RUMFORD – Any business people who want to learn more about recycling can get a free audit from the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition.

Patricia Duguay, coalition director, at one time headed local recycling efforts. She now is offering to come to an office to help establish a paper recycling program.

“It’s really very easy,” she said. “You need only three containers, one for paper, one for boxes and one for trash.”

She began the audit series earlier this week at the Dixfield Town Office where she described how to recycle each paper product.

The town will be tracking the amount of recyclables over a month-long period to estimate their cost savings.

Duguay said Dixfield is hoping to challenge other towns and businesses in an effort to increase recycling regionally.

According to statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency provided by Duguay, about 90 percent of all office waste is paper, such as computer printouts, copier paper, memos, reports, catalogs, fliers and magazines.

She suggests that each desk have containers for paper and trash that can be emptied into larger containers for transport to the regional transfer station in Mexico.

For more tips on recycling, or to schedule a free recycling audit, call Duguay at 364-7408.